1 . Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a surgical imaging apparatus for imaging tissue structures with ultrasonic energy, and in particular to a surgical imaging apparatus configured for illuminating a section of imaged tissue which may be on the surface or the in the subsurface of a tissue structure.
2 . Discussion of Related Art
Today, many surgical procedures are performed through small openings in the skin, as compared to the larger openings typically required in traditional procedures, in an effort to reduce both trauma to the patient and recovery time. Generally, such procedures are referred to as endoscopic, unless performed on the patient's abdomen, in which case the procedure is referred to as laparoscopic. Throughout the present disclosure, the term minimally invasive should be understood to encompass both endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures.
During the course of minimally invasive procedures, the nature of the relatively small opening through which surgical instruments are manipulated, and/or the presence of sub-surface structures, may obscure a direct line-of-sight to the target surgical site. Even dedicated visualization tools, e.g., cameras, endoscopes, and the like, may be limited by the geometry of a minimally invasive surgical site. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a method of sub-surface visualization that is not limited by the geometry of the minimally invasive surgical site.
One such technique is the use of ultrasound imaging to provide clinicians with the ability to image sub-surface structures. Ultrasound imaging relies on different acoustic impedances of adjacent tissue structures to provide the contrast used for imaging and identifying separate tissue structures. Ultrasound imaging possesses several advantages that are attractive for real-time application in surgical procedures, e.g., minimal associated radiation and relatively small and inexpensive imaging hardware. Further, imaging data obtained from ultrasound imaging procedures is collected instantly and at localized points within a patient, as opposed to collected from a large imaging vessel in which a patient is positioned.
In ultrasound imaging procedures, it may be desirable to define an area or region of tissue, e.g., a diseased portion of the tissue or a safe margin surrounding the diseased portion of tissue, or for further analysis or to focus on a desired site for ongoing minimally invasive procedures. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an ultrasound imaging apparatus that is configured to illuminate an area or define region of tissue with visible light, e.g., a safe tissue margin surrounding a diseased, e.g., cancerous region of tissue.